Pfizer-BioNTech Begins Omicron-focused Study to Compare COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Pfizer-BioNTech has begun a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially altered to combat the Omicron variant.
The study will involve three trials in adults ages 18-55 to determine if a vaccine specifically for the Omicron variant is more effective than the shots that are currently given.
It is not clear that a change in the vaccine will be ordered, since areas where the Omicron surge began are already seeing a decrease in cases, and since future variants may not resemble Omicron. In the meantime, the original vaccine still offers good protection against severe illness and death.
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From the Left
Pfizer opens study of COVID shots updated to match omicron
Pfizer has begun a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially tweaked to match the hugely contagious omicron variant.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.
COVID-19 vaccine-makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.
Omicron is more likely than previous variants to cause infection even in people who’ve been vaccinated, but it’s not yet clear that a change to the vaccine recipe will be ordered. Among the issues regulators are weighing: Some of...
From the Left
Pfizer and BioNTech announce plans to test omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine in adult trials 
Vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech announced plans early Tuesday to test an omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine in people.
The companies will run three simultaneous trials in adults ages 18-55 to determine if an omicron-specific vaccine is more effective than current shots.
The existing vaccine was developed to target the original or "ancestral" strain of COVID-19. While three shots appear to provide some protection against omicron, the vaccine, called Comirnaty, is not as effective as it was against earlier strains.
“This study is part of our science-based approach to develop a variant-based vaccine...
From the Right
Pfizer, BioNTech begin omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine study
COVID-19 vaccine-makers Pfizer and BioNTech announced Tuesday that they would test an omicron-specific vaccine candidate in healthy adults ages 18 to 55.
The companies said there would be three trials examining different regimens of the current Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for an omicron-based vaccine.
The study will also draw upon some participants from the companies’ Phase 3 COVID-19 booster study, evaluating up to 1,420 people.
The first cohort received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 90-180 days before enrollment and will receive one or two doses of the omicron-based vaccine.
In the second, participants received three doses...
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